3D printing is steadily gaining ground in the automotive and transportation industries, offering new possibilities for part optimization, performance enhancement and cost-effective customization. Today, it plays a crucial role in reducing production lead times, enabling lightweighting and supporting rapid prototyping. Among the companies driving this shift is Italdesign, a global leader in design, engineering and manufacturing solutions for the transportation industry. With its headquarters in Turin and a dedicated additive manufacturing office in Barcelona, Italdesign has already completed a wide range of innovative projects for car interiors and exteriors. We interviewed the company’s international team to explore how AM is shaping their work and the future of automotive design.
3DN: Hello! Can you introduce yourselves?
Daniel Agullo: My name is Daniel Agullo, and I’ve been the General Manager of Italdesign Barcelona since 2010.
Giorgia de Silva: My name is Giorgia de Silva, and since 2023, I’ve led the Color & Trim team at Italdesign. My work focuses primarily on material innovation for the automotive sector.
3DN: When was Italdesign founded, and what is its mission?
Giorgia de Silva: Italdesign was founded in 1968 as a service company for the major automotive industry. We operate in the areas of Style, Design, Production, and new mobility solutions, and the services we offer cover all phases, from the initial product definition to the start of series production for so-called “turnkey” projects. However, companies in the sector can also benefit from our expertise for individual phases of the vehicle development cycle. Since the mid-1970s, we have also developed activities in the Transport Design sector, working on various means of transport, from commercial vehicles to industrial vehicles and tractors, from buses to trains, airplanes and helicopters, and in the Industrial Design sector with projects for consumer goods, packaging, corporate identity, Graphics, Multimedia & Communication. We have also invested in expertise and facilities in the fields of interior design and street furniture. We have been part of the VW/Audi group since 2010. Our headquarters are in Moncalieri, in the province of Turin, but we also have offices in Spain, China, and the United States, with over 1,000 employees.
Giorgia de Silva, left, and Daniel Agullo, right
3DN: When did you first encounter 3D printing?
Daniel Agullo: We started using 3D printing in 2011. We decided to invest in Polyjet technology for its precision and variety of materials, such as rubbers, transparent materials, and the ability to mix different materials in the same part. Using this technology to build model parts was revolutionary for us, as many of them were made using subtractive methods (primarily milling), which wasted material and were time-consuming. Just a year later, at the end of 2012, we purchased our second 3D printer and created a fully-fledged 3D printing department. In 2013, the number of operating hours on these two 3D printing machines exceeded that of the three milling machines, proving that we had made the right investment, as we reduced production times, increased quality and saved costs.
3D printing of automotive components in the Italdesign laboratory
More importantly, we’ve achieved exceptional customer satisfaction. In 2015, we made our most significant investment, purchasing a larger Polyjet 3D printer, which allowed us to print parts up to one meter long. Thanks to its large print bed, we could produce many parts at once, allowing us to leave the printer running overnight or even over the weekend. When we returned to work on Monday, many parts were already ready for the finishing process. With this large 3D printer, producing 3D printed parts was significantly more cost-effective than milling them. The department grew with more people and a larger dedicated space, officially establishing Italdesign’s Barcelona 3D printing lab. The latest acquisition was an exclusive 3D printer capable of printing in color. This revolutionary 3D printer allows you to print in the full Pantone range, offering the possibility of printing parts with colored textures, imitating, for example, wood or marble, as we did for the air intakes of our DaVinci show car.
The DaVinci concept car
Giorgia de Silva: My first-hand experience with this technology came during the 2019 DaVinci concept car project, a 100% electric, 100% Italian grand tourer. On that occasion, we used 3D printing to create an aesthetic element—the interior vents—giving them a marble-like appearance. This innovative approach harmoniously blended aesthetics and technology, while preserving the component’s lightness and aesthetic impact.
3DN: For what applications do you use 3D printing in your business?
Daniel Agullo: We use 3D printing technology to print almost all exterior spare parts (mirrors, handles, lights, spoilers, air vents, emblems, grilles, etc.) and interior parts (all buttons, handles, air vents, climate controls, the cluster, steering wheel add-ons, HMI controls, seat covers, etc.). Many of these parts are painted or finished to achieve a highly realistic final appearance. This technology also allows us to produce kinematic parts (gears, hinges, latches, etc.), providing some basic functionality for testing ergonomics and handling.
Giorgia de Silva: This technology not only allows us to optimize time and costs, but also offers the possibility of offering incredible aesthetic customization, significantly influencing the world of CMF (Color, Materials, Finish) in sectors ranging from fashion to design and the automotive industry. The flexibility to experiment with materials and finishes allows us to create unique and distinctive components for our projects. It also allows us to explore different tactile experiences, transparencies, and three-dimensional effects.
3DN: Can you tell us more about the Climb-E project?
Giorgia de Silva: The Climb-E concept represented an opportunity to optimize the production process and maximize the benefits of additive manufacturing. In our specific case, we applied the technology directly to fabrics, once again combining aesthetics and functionality in an innovative way (the pattern created prevents slipping, for example).
By 3D printing directly onto the fabric, Italdesign was able to play with colors, textures, and functionality.
3DN: How do you see the future of 3D printing in the design and manufacturing of automotive interiors?
Daniel Agullo: 3D printing is constantly evolving. Over the past decade, this technology has made significant advances, introducing new possibilities such as metal printing, high-rigidity materials, color printing and even materials certified for aeronautics. This manufacturing process is ideal for small-scale production, avoiding the need for molds or dies (which require large volumes to recoup investment). Another exciting application is the ability to print spare parts to replace damaged ones. This eliminates the need for warehousing and logistics, as the necessary parts are produced only on demand, which also has a significant impact on sustainability.
As I mentioned, 3D printing is fundamental to the design and construction process of our styling models, prototypes, and small-scale models, so this technology will undoubtedly be used in all our future projects and show cars.
Italdesign regularly uses 3D printing in its projects.
Giorgia de Silva: Looking to the future of 3D printing in automotive interior design, I personally continue to see it as an excellent opportunity to accelerate prototype development and small-series production. My next step is focused even more on integrated and single-material materials, touch-interactive polymers and 3D-printed biopolymers that transform and adapt over time. Furthermore, the weight reduction resulting from 3D printing is crucial, not only for structural vehicle parts, but also, for example, for lightening and reducing the layering of seats, making them lighter through a more integrated aesthetic.
3DN: Any final words for our readers?
Giorgia de Silva: Finally, I invite readers to follow our developments in the field of 3D printing applications and materials innovation, as we will continue to explore new frontiers to shape the future of the automotive industry and beyond! To learn more about Italdesign’s projects, HERE.
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*All Photo Credits: Italdesign